Ousmane Dembele first half hattrick powers France past Norway at 2026 FIFA World Cup
Ousmane Dembélé scored a sensational first-half hat-trick as France defeated Norway 4–1 in a decisive World Cup Group I clash on Friday, sealing top spot in the group.
Dembélé struck in the 7th, 20th, and 32nd minutes, with one of the goals coming from a precise assist by Kylian Mbappé. His rapid treble marked the first first-half hat-trick at a World Cup since Oleg Salenko achieved the feat against Cameroon in 1994.
The victory ensured France finished the group stage with a perfect nine points from three matches. Norway, despite the defeat, advanced in second place with six points.
The highly anticipated matchup had been framed as a Golden Boot battle between Mbappé and Norway’s Erling Haaland, but Haaland was rested by coach Ståle Solbakken, who made several changes after securing qualification. That decision opened the door for Dembélé to dominate the spotlight.
France manager Didier Deschamps watched his side control the match, with Paris Saint-Germain forward Désiré Doué adding a late goal to complete the 4–1 scoreline.
Dembélé’s performance immediately elevated him into the race for the tournament’s top scorer, alongside Mbappé, Haaland, Vinícius Júnior, and Lionel Messi.
World Cup records for fastest hat-tricks remain held by Hungary’s László Kiss, who scored three in 7 minutes and 42 seconds after coming off the bench against El Salvador in 1982, and Austria’s Erich Probst, who netted three early goals against Czechoslovakia in 1954.
France, champions in 2018 and runners-up at the previous tournament, had already secured qualification for the knockout rounds before kick-off. They will now face a third-placed team in New Jersey in the round of 32, while Norway will meet Ivory Coast in Dallas.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Senegal secured third place in their group with a 5–0 win over Iraq, strengthening their hopes of progressing as one of the best third-placed sides.
Join the Savid News channel on WhatsApp:
